One-time UFC title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga had his hand raised after a fight for the first time in almost two years, though it wasn’t in an MMA contest.
Gonzaga made a successful professional boxing debut at a show in Worcester, Mass., on Saturday, winning a four-round majority decision over Alejandro Esquilin Santiago. It was the 38-year-old’s first victory since defeating Konstantin Erokhin at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale on Dec. 11, 2015, which was part of a 1-4 stretch that closed out his time inside the Octagon.
For one night, Gonzaga could put his MMA struggles behind him.